The leaking and subsequent media exposure of the names of 22 Turkish female singers and models detained by the Vice Squad of the Istanbul police as part of what has been portrayed as a large-scale crackdown on alleged prostitution - while the identities of their alleged cliental of football players or solicitors have been kept secret- has been criticised for violating confidentiality of private life and dubbed a reflection of "hypocritical male solidarity".

The very name of the roundup, "Operation Barbie" that hit the headlines of the Turkish media together with the identity of the women placed under custody, in most cases accompanied by their images, has led to criticism both of the operation itself and its intentions.

Turkey's Human Rights Association (IHD) has criticised the "Barbie Operation" for violating the very right of confidentiality of private life while attorney Hulya Gulbahar from the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) Women's Platform has said it is "a typical example of hypocritical male solidarity", maintaining that the police involved had acted against the law.

IHD: Human Rights Violations Committed

In its statement on the operation, the IHD said that "by exposing the names and images of the women involved, this operation has violated their rights. The principle of confidentiality of private life has been violated. This operation is a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights".

Gulbahar: Anyone with a mind should object

Attorney Gulbahar, meanwhile, said the operation contained "such a hypocrisy that anyone with a mind should object to it. Members of the media that prepare the news this way should be punished by the professional ethic boards."

Gulbahar argued that the operation itself was a violation of TCK article 227 where in section 8 it is stated that "any person pulled into prostitution will be subject to treatment and therapy" and said that prostitution could not be fought by punishing the women who had been forced into it. She proposed a Swedish type model where those directly benefiting from this sector as cliental would also be punished.

"Those who put such a name to an operation and call it prostitution have, instead of initiating sanctions against those benefiting from this, made the aggrieved of this incident even more aggrieved, acting outside of the law. According to what has reflected to the newspapers, the mentioned detention decision does not look as if it is legal either." She added that placing an aggrieved party under custody rather than those who have committed the crime also contradicts with current laws.

Gulbahar concluded, "all of these groups under the control of men have absolutely no hesitation in breaking the laws when their own personal interests are of concern" maintaining that this operation has led to (AD/II/YE)